Cushion tire



M. c, OVERMAN cusmo'n TIRE,

- Feb. 15, 1927.

Patented eb. 155', 1927.

- UNI-TED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

:MAX cYntrs ovEaiaAN, or NEW YORK, N, vf, AssIGNon To o. a w. zOMPANY, AcoalPonArIom -orivnvv vom;

CUsHIoN TIRE.

Application mea scptemberm, 1921, serial Nof'sooea. Renewed June 11,192s...

My present invention'relates to improve- Aments on the cushion tire ofmy co-pending application Serial No. 500,367 filed on even datecomprising (1) making the basal limbs 5 of the outer members of afirmer, less yielding material as by .vulcanizing said parts to agreater extent than the tread portions of saidv members; (2) providingmore posit-ive means for preventing Athe inner and outer loload-supporting and shock-absorbing mem-` bers from creepingcircumferentially relatively to one another; also relatively to the rim;(3)y providing ventsfor connecting the spaces in the tire with the outerair or atmosphere.

These and other features and advantages of my present tire will appearfrom an understancling of the following description read in connectionwith the drawingswhich purport to show only the preferred embodiment ofmy present improvements, although,

of course, other embodiments are possible within the'scope of myinvention.

In the drawlngs, Fig. 1 -is a cross-sectionalv view through my improved.tire and tire#A rim; -Fig. 2 is -a. perspect1ve view of a..

severed length of the tire on the tire rim,

parts also of the latter being broken away to reveal the structure; Fig.3 is a. horizontal sectional view on the line 3 3 through the- -tire inFig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified tirel whichotherwise corresponds with Fig. 1. l

Briefly, the tire' of my present invention .235 has the following invcommon with the tire of my aforesaid co-pending application: It hasupright load-supporting and shockabsorbing inner members1 1 andlaterally stabilizing or bracingouter members 2 2. 40 These members arerelatively closely adjacent, separated'by proper spaces, two of which 33 are similar in cross-section, and

a third space being designated 4. The tread-portionso of all thesemembers are integrally united by af relatively wide tread-portion 5including sides which are divergent toward theA base ofthe tire. This.provides a tread .portion whose voutline resembles that of a pneumatictire in ground 'B0 contact and like thattire resists penetrating intofasoft roadway andvadds to its ability ,touclimb out ofruts; etc,

l The' aforesaid load-supporting and shockabsorbing inner members 1 1are comparatively tall and thin; and in Vertical direction adjacent thespaces 3 and 4 are substantially straight and steeply converge towardvthe tread, the result of their convergence being that the opening4 incross-section is substantially V-shaped, the basal part thereof beingclosed by shoulders 1& 1a on the base portlons of said members. Y' Thelaterally stabilizing or bracing outer members 2 2 in cross-section areeach elbow-shaped, their tread limbs converging, 'toward the tread andtheir basal limbs toward the rim-engaging portion of the tire. Theresult is that each of the spaces 3 in cross-section is substantially anobtuse angled triangle with its longest side formed bythe side of theadjacent inner member 1.

The respective members 1 1, 2 2 and spaces 3 3 and 4 may becircumferentially continuous around the tire. Also the whole tire ispreferably molded as an entirety. The material is, of course, rubber' orrubber compound or other suitable rubber-'like maand the like. y

I construct a narrow base for this tire to lit a standard pneumatic tirerim and secure it thereto by adaptations and means as fol- -terial with'or without fabric reinforcing's 5 lows: The basal portions of the innerupright members 1 1 are formed with shoulders 1b lb, which may beinclined, and which overlie complementary basal ortions a a on the outermembers when a l of the members are together with the tire in operativeposition on the rim. The. foregoing coupled with the elbow-shape of ltheouter members 2 2provides the narrow base for the tire.

6 is a channelesectioned metal ring which is put into the cavity 4 afterthe tire has been molded. The inner members 1 1 of the'tire are thenbrought together as in Figs. 1 and 2l so that the ring' bears upon andits sides enclose both of the shoulders 1 1a on said members 1 1' forsecuring the tire to the rim as will be explained later.

8 is a standard-pneumatic tire rim having side flanges 8a 8a. `Thelange-space 1s adapted to receive snugly the above described othergases.

in Fig. l, with the outwardly curving flanges supporting theelbow-shaped outer members 2 i This standard flanged rim 8 iscircumferentially discontinuous, being transversely severed at 8b (Fig.2). This permits the rim to be contracted to apply it to the tire, afterwhich it can be expanded into the position shown with the base of thetire seated in the rim-space.

Any form of expansible rim may be employed;- also yany suitable meansfor locking the rim in its expanded condition, for example, that shownin my said co-pending application. For simplicity, no locking means isshown in my present application.

"Ihe inside diameter of the ring 6 is Sulliciently small so that whenthe rim is fully expanded, the basal portions of the inner members l-lwill be securely clamped between said ring and the rim. At the sametime, the portions of said inner members that overlie the basal portionsof the outer members-2 2 will securely clamp the latter to the rim andthe adjacent anges.

' Also, mypresent tire-inay be used on' other rims includingl anystandard form of detachable rim for pneumatic tires, as'explained in niysaid co-pending application.

For a tire to possess good riding qualities when used on a-high speedmotor-vehicle it is necesary that it be not only highly and resilientlyyielding so as to absorb to the maximum extent the inequalities of theroad surface, but also it should be sutiiciently rapid in its action toyield to the inequalities of the road as rapidly asthey are met with inthe rapidly rolling passage of the tire over the roadway. In a pneumatictire the cushioning medium is the compressed air contained in the tire,and as air possesses a low inertia anda low resistance to flow, such atire is able to act very quickly in yielding to' the rapidly occurringroad irregularities which are met with 'in a vehicle travelling at ahigh speed on the roadway.

On the other hand, in making a non-inflated tire out of a material suchas rubber, rubber compounds, or the like, the cushioning effect of thetire must for satisfactory results be produced vby the flow of thematerial itself of which the tire is formed. The rate of flow of anysolid material such as rubber, rubber compounds, or other likematerials, is much slower than that ofaii, or It is.y necessary,therefore, in producing a tii'e having cushioning effects and actingsubstantially as quickly as a pneumatic tire, that the rubber, or othermaterial of which it is composed, shall be so arranged that in givingthe cushioning action through an actual flow of the material it willhave the shortest distance through which to flow.- Furthermore, it isnecessary, in using rubber compounds having relative- 1y freely-Howingcharacteristics, that no portion of the material shall have' toflow veryfar, or otherwise excessive heating from such flow is likely to occur,resulting in de-vulcanization. In order, therefore, for the tire to havethe desired quickness of action in yielding to the road irregularitiesand quick- 1y resuming its normal condition and at the same timepermitting a maximum amount of yield or compression without excessiveflowing movements of the material,` the loadsupporting members 1-1 ofthe tire should 'be relatively tall for a maximum total compression andrelatively tliinrin cross section for quick action with free spaces intowhich said load-supporting members may expand so that the flow ofthematerial will be largeessary that either the load-supporting meinbersthemselves provide the tire with sufH- cient lateral stabilityyto'withstand such lateral forces as by being relatively thick and nottoo steeply convergent or that other members be provided co-acting withthe' load-supporting members to properly resist such lateraL forces. Inthis present tire the load supporting members 1-1 are such that they actprincipally as such in order to enable them to have quickness of actionto the higest degree as shock absorbers in cushioning the forces actingvertically with respect to the tread of the tire; and additionalniembers, whose function is almost entirely that of properly resistingand'cushioning the forces acting laterally with respect to the tire, are110 provided by the outer elbow-shaped mem- .bers 2 2, which, besidesgiving lateral stability to the tire, also act in conjunction with thetread portion to give the tire the proper degree of resistance to roadpenetration to enable it to'practically duplicate the pneu-. matic tirein this respect and'in the respect of easily getting out of yruts, etc.

Fig. l shows tread openings 18-18 in the I tread portion of the tire.These consist of transverse grooves oi' spaces open .at the tread andextending transversely through the sides of the treadportion 5 to andbeyond the center of the tread, adjacent spaces extending in overlappingfashion from opposite sides of' said tread portion.

19--19 are spaced apart, integral projec- L. tions from the-body of thetread portion located within said grooves 1*,8-18 to actas pebbleejectors.

Furthermore,

I will now describe my present improvements by reference'l to theaccompanying drawings showing same in the preferred form.

Referring to Fig. 1, lit will be seen.that the basal portions of thelouter members, 2 2 are more closely cross-lined or shaped than theremainder of the members. This in dicates the portions that Ivulcanize.' to a greater extent so that they have a stiffer, lessyielding nature. This causes these portions to act as a firmer supportfor the-outer portions of the members 2 2, through their greaterresistance to bending; reduces the tendency of these elbowed members tospread outwardly at the elbows; and, due to their reducedcompressibility, causes them' to be clamped more certainly againstpulling out from under the inner members". In shoft,v the effectivenessof the outer members 2 2 in their laterally stabilizingr or bracingfunction is greatlyv increased.

Complementary corrugations 1 are provided on the contactingfaces of theinner and outer members at the base of the tire,

as best shown in .the horizontal sectional view Fig. 3,.some of thesecorrugations being indicated bythe'do-tted lines 1c and bythe full lines1b in Fig. 1. These complementary interlocking parts prevent themultiple members 1` and 2 from creeping longitudinally relatively to oneanother when the tire is in action or use. l

For the same purpose and also to prevent thev tire as an entirety fromcreeping cir! cxunlerentially about the rim, I provide corrugationsacross the bottoms of all the members 1 and 2 complementary to those ina transversely corru ated strip`14 received in the bottom of theangedrim space. 'Ihe strip itself is prevented from creeping by Y beingprovided with a projection 14a l(Fig.

uit)

1)'` received through vthe h`ole usually provided in the rim for thevalve stem of the inner tube, its free-end being' screw-threaded with anut applied thereto;,also this 'strip may be secured in place by rivets15. The aforesaid corrugations in the` harder material vof the outermembers 2 vare especially effective in preventing creeping.

1(5 16 are-vent-holes which under certain conditions vI prefer toprovide tov connect the tire spaces. with the outer air or atmosphere sothat these are not dead-air spaces. In addition to allowingclrculationofxalr lnto and out olsaid spaces, these vents also allow anypossible accumulation of Water to f escape. Forl this purpose `they areadvantageously located toward the tread so'that the Water will becentrifugally removed through them. These vent-holes may be moldedcomplete for their entire length; or asin# tended to be shown in Fig. lthey maybe molded for `part of their length `as shown by the'full linesbounding said holes and said vents shall become operative.

The ring 6 instead.i of havino' a plain clamping lface as in myaforesait co-pending application is provided with inwardlyextendingside-iianges as best .shown in Fig. 1. These engagecomplementary recesses formed in the shoulders 1 1a of the footpo-rtions of the inner members 1 1, thereby more positively securingsame to the rim by preventing said foot portions from Working laterallyout from under the clamping ring 6. y

Fig. 4 shows a modification of the tire'of Fig. 1, the modificationconsist-ing in stiftening the basal limbs of the outer or buttressingmember 2 2 in another Way than by vulcanizing them to a greater extent,said ctfier way consisting in making the basal portions of said limbseither in whole or in part of a suitably different stiffermaterialthan-rubber, such as aluminum, iron or steel or of any' other suitablematerial for the purpose.

Thus the basal portion of each outer member 2 of the tire may consist ofan aluminum or steel ring lshown cross-sectionally at 20 in Fig. 4. 'Inmaking the tire, the rubber members 2 2, are vulcanized respectivelyto'lsaid metal base portions 2,0 20, the Ivulcanization being indicatedin saidvFig. 4 by the more closelylined or shaded portion 21.Freferably, as in Fig. 1,-the vulcanization does not extend to orinclude the elbows of the members 2 2. .In consequence these elbowsremain relatively soft and yielding, so as not to befbroken by-sidecontact with the curb of a sidevv'alk or the like.

Except for the foregoing, Il prefer for maximum stii'ening and support,to extend the'-vulcanization in Fig.v l or the combined Inu the drawingsso as to `converge 'toward the tread Without including the outside orcurbcontacting portions of the elbow or equivalent'lateral buttressingmembers.

The inclined outer portion of each metal `ring 20 is preferabiylongitudinally grooved as shown at 22 in F ig. 4, so `that the rubberportions of the. members 2 2can .be all the more efiectually vulcanizedor united thereto.,

Some ofthe foregoing improvements may be used without others. .'Alsootherchanges and .modifications maybe 'made in the pracftical embodimentof my presentimprovements Whichwill nevertheless still be Wit-hi thespirit of the foregoing disclosure and within the meaning and spirit ofthe annexed claims and which as such are accordingly intended to becovered thereby.

The expressions herein such as upright and u and down applied to theloadvsupporting walls, etc., of the tire, and other expressions ofdirection applied to parts of the tire, are tovbe taken as referring toa section of the tire located as if in running tread contact with theground.

What I claim is:

l. In a tire, the combination of a treadportion, inner and outer membersunited with said tread-portion and separated from one another by spaces,the' inner between said spaces being upright and substantially straightso as to be loadesupporting 5' and. the outer being laterallystabilizing elbow-shaped members containing the inner members betweenthem with the elbows at the sides of the tire and with their limbsconverging toward the tread portion andA portion and which' in up anddown direction are substantially straight adjacent said space,elbow-shaped laterallyy stabilizing outer members containing the innermeinbers between them with one -set of their limbsconverging toward anduniting with said tread portion and with their other set of limbsconverging toward the base of the tire, the basal portions of all of thesaid members being adapted to be contained in a fianoed tire-rim withthe elbow-shaped mem.

bersbbraced by said flanges, the basal limbs of said louter membersconsisting otviirmer,

more unyielding .material than the tread limbs of said members.

3. Ina tire, the combination of'a treadportion, space-separatedload-supporting and shock-absorbing inner members which unite -with saidtread-portion and which in up and down direct-ion are vsubstantiallystra-ight adjacent said space, elbow-shaped laterally stabilizing outermembers containing the inner members between them with one setvof theirlimbs converging toward and uniting with-'said tread-portion and withtheirother set of limbs converging toward the :base of the tire, thebasal portions of all of the said members being adapted to be containedin a flanged tire-rim, said portions of the inner members being adapted.

to be engaged kby means for securing them to said rim and further beingadapted to overlie and secure the basal portions of the outer membersalso t0 the rim, thebasal limbs of said outer members consistingoffirmer, more unyielding material than the tread limbs of said members.

4. In atire, the combination of spaced inner and O uter members, atread-portion integrally uniting the tread portions of said members, thebasal portions of said members being adapted to be contained in aflanged tire-rim, the basal portions of the inner members being adaptedto be engaged by means for securing them to said rim and further beingadapted to overlie the basal portions of the outer members so as tosecure the latter also to the rim, said basal portions of the outermembers consisting of firmer, more unyielding material than thetread-portions of saidv members.

5. In a tire, thecombination lot spaced inner and outer members, thevformer being upright load-supporting members, the latter being lateralbuttressing lmembers, a tread portion integrally uniting the treadportions of said members, the basal portions of said members beingadapted to be contained in a flanged tirerim,|the basal portions of theo uter members consisting of firmer, more unyielding material thanthetread portions of said members.

6, In aitire, the combination of spaced, inner and outer membersintegrally united by a thread portion, said outer members beingelbow-shaped in cross-section with the elbows directed outwardly fromthe sides of the tire and with their limbs converging toward the treadand the base of the tire respectively, the basal portions of said outermembers consisting of firmer, more unyielding material than the treadportions of said members. l

7. In a tire, the combination of spaced, inner and outer `members, atread portion integrally uniting the tread portions of said members, thebasal portions of said members vbeing adapted to be contained in aflanged tire-rim, and complementary interlocking partson the sides ofthebasal portions of the inner and' outer members preventing longitudinalcreeping of said members on one another.

8, In a tire, the combination of spaced,

inner and outer members` a tread portion integrally uniting the treadportions ot said members the basal portions of said members beingadapted tobe contained in a flanged tire-rim, the basal portions of theinner mexnbers being adapted tobe engaged by means for securing them tothe tire-rim and further being adapted to overlie the basal portions ofthe outer members so as to scf .cure the' latter'also to the rim, andcomplementary interlocking parts on the sides of the basal portions ofthe inner and outer members 'preventing longitudinal creeping of saidmembers on one another.l

9'. In a tire, the combination ot spaced,

' inner andbuter members Aintegrally `united ing elbowby a treadportion, said outer members bes aped in cross-section with the elbowsdirected outwardly from the Asides of the tire and with their' limbsconverging toward, the tread and the base of theltire respectively, thebasal portions of said outer members consisting of rmer, more unyieldingmaterial than the tread portions of s'ald members, which more unyieldingmaterial does not extend to the. outside portions ofI said elbows.

10. In a tire, the combination Aof spaced 'inner and outer membersintegrally united by a tread portion, said outer members be` ingelbow-shaped in cross-section with the elbows directed outwardly fromthe sides of the tireand with their limbs converging 'inner and outermembers integrally unite bye, tread lportion, said outer members beingelbows aped in cross-section with the elbows directed: outwardly fromthe sides of the tire and with their limbs converging toward the treadand the base -of' the tire respectively, the basal portions of saidouter members beingrmer and more unyielding than the tread portions ofsaid members.'

1 2.In a tire,`th e combination Aof spaced inner and outer members,a-tread portion integrally uniting the tread portions o f said members,the .basal portions of' said meminner members against the base of saidrim, Y

bers being adapted to be containedl in a lllanged tire rim, radiallycompressing means foncompressing the basal portions ofthe and means-rfor securing the basal portions of the innerand outer members agalnstcircumfe'rential motion on one anothen n 113. In a tire, thecombinationy of spaced inner andl outer members, a tread portionintegrally uniting the tread portions of said members, .the basalportions of said members being adapted to be contained in a flanged tirerifn, and a channel-sectioned ring in the space between the innermembers with its channel'engaging the basal portions of said members,and radially compressing same against the baseo'the tire rim.

14:. In a tire, the combination of a tread portion, laterally spacedmultiple inner and multiple outer members integrally Cformed 'with saidtread portion and diver-ging immediately therefrom towards the base ofthe tire vwith expansion spaces separating said members adjacent saidtread portion, the basal portions of said members meeting in the basalportion of theV tire; and endless compression ring means in the spacebetween tlie' inner members, -said ring means having side ianges whichare recessedinto said basal portion of the tire. 15. In a tire, thecombination of a tread portion, laterally spaced multi le innerandmultiple outer members joined y said tread portion, the basal portionsof saidmembers meeting in rthe basal portion of the tire; 'the basalportions ofthe inner-members coming together separably at the spaceseparating said members; and anvedringmeans in sa1d space between ytheinner members for compressing theiry basal portions betweenv said meansanda tire rim with the vflanges of said ring means recessed into saidbasal `portions of said inner members.

' 'giyied at Newl York in the countyof.

' Si New dayofe'ptember, D. 1921.

' s 'MAX-crans ovERMAN.

ork land State of New York this'12th

